Belt garniture and Yugomashev burial chronology

The article analyzes the belt garniture (buckles, straps, and tips) of the Yugomashev burial of the Mazunin culture. The necropolis was investigated by Mazhitov in 1967 and by Vasyutkin and Kalinin in 1975, but the excavation materials were not published by the authors. In this study, the elements of the belt set are considered from the point of view of morphology, classification and chronology. Ostanina dated the Yugomashev burial ground back to the 5 century, noting that the separation into smaller chronological periods was not yet possible. The analysis of th the belt set and other types of objects by the method of a “narrow dating” proposed by Chukin made it possible to th th th th distinguish three chronological groups of burials belonging to the 4 century, 4 -5 centuries, and 5 century. Because of the lack of grave goods, it is impossible to date ten graves containing items from the belt garniture. The maximum concentration of burials with belt sets is recorded in the eastern zone of the necropolis, whereas in the western part, belt sets are represented in the half of the burials. The earliest graves are located in the center of sites (this is especially noticeable in the eastern sector of excavations). Consequently, the complexes of the 4 century th mark the centers where the cemetery sections began to be filled. It is possible to distinguish three centers (one in the east, two in the west). This may indicate the presence of three groups of patronymies in the studied area. In the future, these findings can be corrected, as the necropolis site is not fully investigated.